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Kwan Kung
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Taekwondo has evolved by combining many different styles of martial arts that existed in Korea over the last 2,000 years and some martial arts styles from countries that surround Korea. Taekwondo incorporates the abrupt linear movements of Karate and the flowing, circular patterns of Kung-fu with native kicking techniques. However, Taekwondo is famed for its use of kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts such as Karate or southern styles of Kung fu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation. One defining kick of Taekwondo is the Back Kick which is usually exclusive to Taekwondo.
The name Taekwondo, however, has only been used since 1957 while the arts' roots began 2,300 years ago in Korea. Known as a martial art and way of life, the evolution of Taekwondo was a direct result of the happenings in Korea long ago, and knowledge of the history is an important step in understanding Taekwondo. The earliest records of Taekwondo practice date back to about 50 B.C. During this time, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, founded on the Kyongju plain in 57 B.C.; Koguryo, founded in the Yalu River Valley in 37 B.C.; and Paekje, founded in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula in 18 B.C. Archeological findings during these times, such as the mural paintings on the royal tombs during the Koguryo period, stone sculptures at pagodas during the Silla period and documents written in the Paekje period, show techniques and fighting stances that were probably the first forms of Taekwondo. The paintings from this period, which have been found on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty, show unarmed people using techniques that are very similar to the ones used by Taekwondo today.
Silla unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 660 A.D. and Koguryo in 668 A.D. The Hwa Rang Do, an elite group of young noble men, played an important role at this unification. They devoted to cultivating mind and body and served the kingdom Silla. The HwaRang Do had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts, including Taekyon and Soo Bakh Do. The old honor-code of the HwaRang is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo. The honor- codes are:
1. Be loyal to your king
2. Be obedient to your parents
3. Have honor and faith among friends
4. Have perseverance in battle
5. Justice never to take a life without cause
What followed was a time of peace. In 936 A.D. Wang Kon founded the Koryo dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. The name Korea is derived from Koryo. The Koryo Dynasty was a time for growth and development in the martial arts. During this time unarmed combat gained its greatest popularity. Martial arts were on an upswing and even new styles began to appear. One such style was TaeKyon(also called Subak), which was considered the earliest known form of Taekwondo. Tae Kyon involved many more and new kicking techniques and was designed as more of a fighting sport than a discipline.
Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII, lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. The influences that Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, linear movements that characterize the various Japanese systems.
Within Korea there were five major martial art academies or Kwans. They were called Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, and Songmu Kwan. The way of teaching and employing many of the techniques varied as much as the schools. The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the beginning of 1957, the name Taekwondo was adopted by several Korean martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name TaeKyon.
Taekwondo today is just as exciting as ever. Taekwondo, under the leadership of the World Taekwondo Federation has grown into an international art and sport practiced in over 190 counties worldwide.
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Decoding Chinese Forms, the Hidden Meanings Behind the Flash
Chinese styles are often criticized as being impractical, showy and lacking in practical application. The criticism is usually heard from the eclectic styles that focus on street fighting and self defense and it is true that a Tai Chi or White Crane form will do you little good in a cage fight. But then again combat is not only what forms were designed to teach. Forms are the heart and soul of a style containing not only fighting techniques, but also the strategic and philosophical principles of that style.
Chinese forms are some of the most complicated and confusing because they contain hidden meanings that, like a puzzle, can only be solved by persistent study. Although each form has its own specific applications and interpretations the following keys may help you to decode the secrets of the classical Chinese forms
Hiding Techniques
One way in which Chinese forms differ from the better known Japanese and Korean forms in that the latter use the principle of keeping only what was useful in combat and have tended to discard those movements that where not. Watching Japanese and Korean forms being performed one can recognize the techniques being used. In contrast, when watching Chinese forms many movements appear strange and theatrical and the combat applications are not always clear. One reason is the notoriously secretive attitude surrounding the Chinese styles. The old masters were said to have hidden their best techniques by changing them to make them incomprehensible to anyone that did not possess the key to understanding the style.
A Chinese folk tale may provide a clue as to why the old masters were so secretive and it goes like this. Once there was a young man who gained a reputation by visiting different martial arts schools and defeating the instructors in sparring contests. When he arrived in a town or village he would first discreetly enquire into the local master's whereabouts and then secretly spy on the master during his practice. After several days of spying he would have learned the master's style, strategy, strengths and weaknesses and then he would issue his public challenge. Knowing what to expect, the young man was able to defeat many teachers and thus gained his reputation. One day the young man arrived at a village nearby the mountains in which a Taoist Monk who was also a Kung Fu master was said to live. After inquiring among the villagers the young man learned that the Master practiced early every morning in a clearing. Rising before dawn, the young man went to the clearing and hid in the bushes where he could secretly watch the old monk as he practiced. After several days of spying the young man felt he knew the monk’s secrets and he challenged him to a contest. The old monk obliged to meet him in the village for a sparring match the next day. During the match the young man was soundly beaten and made to look the complete fool. Confused the young man asks, " I studied your technique for days, but when you fought you used movements I had never seen, how is this possible?"
The monk replied, "It is wise to use the strategy of `Know your Enemy' but several days ago I sensed someone was watching me so I employed another strategy. When I practiced I changed the movements so that the real techniques were hidden, and when you challenged me I guessed it must have been you who had spied on me earlier. I knew what you would expect and, so I was able to turn the advantage against you."
Whether the story is true or false the tendency to keep the real applications of a form secret is still apparent and many teachers are reluctant, or at best vague, in explaining the real purpose behind the movements. One method of hiding technique is by `blending' the techniques together. In Japanese Katas there usually is a `stop': a pause after each technique to show precision and focus. In Chinese forms the techniques are often blended together without a pause between the end of one technique and the start of the next. It is this blending of techniques that give Chinese forms their characteristic fluidity, and their mystery, since without having trained in the style you would not recognize many of the techniques being performed.
These masters would teach the hidden applications to only a select group of students, referred to as `Closed Door' sessions. During the regular `Open' class all students would learn the same movements, but only the most trusted students would be taught the true applications behind the movements. In this way the style's most important techniques were kept secret from outsiders and those not deemed worthy of the knowledge.
Breathing Techniques
Many Kung Fu forms contain breathing exercises called Chi Gung which combines deep abdominal breathing, dynamic hand movements, and visualization. In the so called `Hard' styles the hand movements are performed slowly using dynamic tension. In `Soft' styles the hand movements are done relaxed with the focus on visualizing Chi (Internal Energy) flowing throughout the body. Some breathing exercises include vocalizations. Striking with a Crane Hand is usually accompanied by a crane call produced by a sudden contraction of the diaphragm, similar to a technique taught in modern voice classes. A more unusual vocal technique is a long descending wail that starts in the falsetto range and then descends through the octave to the bass range. The sounds made during a form are designed to show breath control. Unfortunately Bruce Lee made these vocalizations famous and now no moron’s pantomime of kung fu is complete without the obligatory whining and wailing.
Conditioning
There are several ways in which physical conditioning exercises are incorporated into a form. In the Chinese forms the stances tend to be much lower than they would be in real combat. Maintaining low stances throughout the form is excellent for developing leg strength, endurance, and provides cardiovascular benefits. Another conditioning technique is to exaggerate the movements which requires greater effort and flexibility. For example, in the Long Fist form the arms are held stretched out away from the body and the techniques are large and exaggerated. This works the muscles in the shoulders as well as the waist and relies on gravity resistance much like a modern Pilate’s routine. For more strenuous conditioning, weights in the form of heavy brass or iron rings were worn around the forearms. Kicks are also done higher in a form than would be done in application. When practicing forms many kicks are aimed at head height, although in self-defense, most teachers admonish against kicking higher than the solar plexus. The high kicks in a form help to increase flexibility and balance.
Finesse
Finesse techniques are usually found in weapons forms and are meant to demonstrate the performer's expertise in handling the weapon. Like a gunfighter spinning his revolver on one finger before holstering, these techniques are almost all show but do require considerable skill. Weapons such as the sword, spear, and staff are routinely spun about the body, passing the weapon from one hand to another, behind the back, overhead, and around the neck, in what are known as Flowers. The finesse techniques are incorporated more for beauty than combat although some are surprisingly effective.
Symbolic Gestures
Forms occasionally include movements that are symbolic of the style. Some represent the origins of the form or religious influences such as the famous Kung Fu bow done by pressing the right fist to the left palm. This is said to have originated in the Shaolin temple and represents the Buddhist principle of non violence, the open palm stopping the fist. Another possible meaning is that it is a secret hand sign left over from the times when martial arts were taught in secret societies. In this case the fist represents the sun and the palm the crescent moon. In Chinese writing the moon and sun symbols written together spells “Ming” which was the reign name for the last native Chinese dynasty the Ming Dynasty. From 1644 to 1911 many secret societies were dedicated to overthrowing the Ching dynasty and restoring the old Ming. The hand signal was a way for members, many of whom were martial artists, to recognize each other.
Little known in the West is the relationship of Chinese Opera and Kung Fu with both arts exchanging techniques. Chinese Opera schools devote much of their curriculum to Kung Fu and gymnastics. Chinese Operas usually have battle scenes where the performers must wield and spin weapons and battle several opponents in choreographed fight scenes similar to those found in modern movies. Jackie Chan and Samo Hung both learned their Kung Fu while training to be Opera performers. While Chinese opera incorporated kung fu techniques, Kung Fu also borrowed many dramatic techniques from the Opera.
One of the most famous characters in Chinese Opera and Kung Fu schools is Kwan Gung. Kwan is the both the god of war and the patron saint of martial arts. He is characterized by his use of a particularly heavy halberd called a Kwan Dao (Kwan's blade) and by his long black beard. A statue or picture of General Kwan is usually found in every Kung Fu club and in earlier time a rusty old Kwan Dao was often displayed in front of the club's entrance like barber’s pole. When using the Kwan Dao in a form there are several dramatic gestures that have no practical applications but have obviously been adopted from the theatre such as a pause in the form in which the practitioner pretends to stroke a long beard.
Other examples of dramatic gestures are found in the animal styles. Each style will incorporate movements that embody the characteristics of the animal such as the graceful open arm hops and turns of the White Crane, the facial grimaces and ape-like gestures of the Monkey, and the hypnotic bobbing and weaving of the Preying Mantis. Some of these techniques have a combat application while others are for aesthetic reasons only.
Conclusion
Long before written language heroic tales of great deeds and battles were acted out in pantomimes in front of campfires as a way of passing cultural traditions onto the next generation. In a sense Chinese forms are a continuation of this ancient tradition. The next time you practice a Kung Fu form know that you are also a part a cultural tradition the goes back before history began.
About the Author
Stefan Verstappen is a writer and martial arts practitioner who has lived and traveled throughout the Far East. He is a frequent contributor for Black Belt, and Inside Kung Fu Magazine and author of , The Thirty-Six Strategies of Ancient China, Blind Zen, Little Warriors and Chinese Business Etiquette.
Author’s website: www.chinastrategies.com
You can e-mail Stefan with questions and comments to sverstappen@yahoo.com
What are the weaknesses of every fighting style?
From Muay Thai, Jeet kune do, boxing, wing chun, Tae kwan do, kung fu, karate, etc. What are the weaknesses of each of them?
No one can get one straight answer to this question. There are too many styles and no one person knows them all. Also no one knows enough about every system to make an educated assumption about a system or style. Most people know that no style is perfect. They are all limited to the practitioners abilities and training.
Therefore the real weakness of a style is someones else opinion which is usually derived from ignorance. Like the one user said all the styles you listed are striking arts. That is not completely true. Several styles that you mention teach grappling, take downs, joint locks and chokes. The only limitation is in the ability of the individual and those individuals ability to apply what they have been taught.
Penang Yang Di-Pertua Negri's Birthday Honours List
Jen Tan Sri Datuk Sri Azizan Ariffin, Datuk Chet Singh Karam Singh, Datuk Dr Lim Yu Hoe.
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